The amount and type of pesticides should be regulated by government offices based on scientific studies, not by a group of Rabbis. If someone was using prohibited pesticides he should go to jail, rather than having his kosher certificate revoked.

My family has kept kosher all my life. We have checked for an OU or other symbol signifying that what we were purchasing was kosher. Never did we worry about fruit or veg because they were always kosher. My grandmother (who incidentally is 100 years old this year and quite spry) loves fresh raspberries. Yet in the past 3 years we have suddenly been told that raspberries, blackberries and certain lettuces are no longer kosher. When we asked why, we were told "bugs." These bugs have magically appeared after 3000 years of not being an issue. Frankly I'm glad the new halchic ruling is against pesticides. Bugs can be washed away (which is what I said to the rabbis against raspberries) but pesticides can become part of the plant and absorbed. My family has rinsed all fruit and veg in salted water for years. This kills and removes dirt and bugs...but does a lot less for pesticides. I hope for once the Rabbis will stop being influenced by money and actually rule in favour of normalcy.

otherwise more restaurants in Jerusalem and the rest of Israel will LEAVE rabbinate supervision!

I can see where the rabbi is coming from. A major problem with pesticide use is that they often are used far in excess of what the label recommends. Another is that some pests actually develop resistance to the pesticides (I have written a peer-reviewed article on microbial resistance to antibiotics, so I have some familiarity with this topic). Moreover, many chemical pesticides are often difficult to decompose. On the other hand, does not the presence of insect pests on vegetables render them unkosher?

It cost me $800 extra so that the misgiach could pick out the "bugs" from the asparagus at my daughter's kosher wedding dinner. - And my son-in-law doesn't even eat them! These new Rabbis are beginning to sound like 7th century imans.

The fruit and vegetable growers will be laughing all the way to the bank. No necessity to spray pesticides. The insects and leetle snails are now also regarded as Kosher.

So when with the Jerusalem Rabbanut stop insisting that all establishments requesting a teudah use only "Gush Katif" produce? The hypocrisy is unbelievable even for the Rabbanut.

...A bunch of idiots

If the rabbinate just ruled that excessive pesticides are not kosher what about feeding the animals GMO and a high level of pesticide diet!

But in this case, he cited scientific papers showing how harmful and more so how much pesticides were being used. If the health ministry didn't act, you can give an advisory.